The Ketogenic Diet for Women

Does a Ketogenic Diet Work for Women?

A ketogenic diet is an excellent option for women but, just as our hormonal makeup differs from that of men, we need to accommodate specific and unique considerations to execute the diet safely.

There are many health benefits associated with a ketogenic diet. Achieving metabolic ketosis by depleting the body's glycogen (sugar) stores, and forcing the body to convert from burning sugar to burning fat for fuel, is ideal.

We'll cover more on the benefits of ketosis below.

Things to Consider Before Starting a Keto Diet

Most people eating a Standard American Diet generally eat around 300 total grams of carbs per day.

Those who follow a strict keto diet opt to keep their net carb macros (r.e., total carbs - fiber = net carbs) under 20 net grams per day. Some people experience challenges when they embark on keto, aka ‘keto flu.’

Luckily, amazing and super-tasty products like Keto Shake (check here for the current availability of creamy chocolate, strawberry cheesecake, and banana creme brulee) can help boost ketones and maintain or establish ketosis, even if your macros aren’t squeaky clean.

Keep your Diet Alkaline on Keto

Although keto is unlike any other dietary lifestyle because its benefits extend far beyond weight loss and are therapeutic, even this fantastic lifestyle can be less nutritious based on our specific food choices.

Eating fatty, omega-3 rich, salmon and spinach sautéed in grass-fed butter or eating highly processed low-carb, high-fat foods with trans fats—especially those containing certain unhealthy vegetable oils (e.g. corn and canola, etc.)—are both technically keto, but the level of health and vitality either choice will produce in your body will be entirely different.

Eating a diet filled with alkaline-rich foods is essential to everyone's health, but it supports women's health in specific and essential ways related to regulating metabolism, fertility, and pH levels in the body, which promotes optimal function and performance.

We love Keto Shake smoothies because they’re packed with nutrition and are an easy meal option to take with you when on-the-go. Try any of our three keto favorites and see which you love best.

Also, a little insider tip, add a scoop of Keto Activate to the mix for a boost of energy and ketone bodies to keep your body running optimally throughout the day.

What a Ketogenic Diet Can do to Your Hormones

Nutritional ketosis has many benefits, but women's hormones require doing keto a specific way to avoid some of the hormonal and metabolic damage that can occur in women when attempting to achieve ketosis for extended periods without an adequate consumption of calories, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3-and-6-balanced fatty acids.

Let's review women's hormones and their functions:

Estrogen

A hormone responsible for the regulation of many physiological systems, estrogen protects cardiovascular health as well as metabolism.

Also, this hormone contributes to bone metabolism, so women must maintain adequate levels during menopause, when estrogen levels drop, to avoid an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Furthermore, estrogen plays a vital role in regulating sleep, mood, and mental function because it affects the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Progesterone

A hormone responsible for sexual function and drive, progesterone is produced in the ovaries following ovulation each month and is crucial to help maintain a healthy uterine lining during pregnancy.

Testosterone

Responsible for more than 200 functions in women and an androgen, or sex hormone, testosterone is directly linked to women's sexual arousal.

Produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands, this hormone is also essential to bone strength, the general development of lean muscle mass, and proper brain function.

Insulin

Insulin regulation is always paramount as irregularities can lead to damaging conditions like insulin resistance, diabetes, lethargy, weight gain, and mood disorders, to devastating effect for some—subsequently throwing ones' hormonal ecosystem entirely out of whack.

Your Period on Keto

A ketogenic diet undoubtedly provides many health benefits, but you may wonder if things will change on keto around 'that time of the month.'

Some women experience no menstrual issues when beginning keto, while others may notice more significant menstrual irregularities in the form of a disorder called amenorrhea—missing one's period for three consecutive months or more.

Conversely, a significant amount of women have reported opposing results after starting the keto diet—with their regular monthly cycle resuming on keto after suffering from amenorrhea—a sign that there must be a variable approach to keto that supports menstrual health.

A ketogenic lifestyle is one of abundance and doesn’t have to be hard. Keto Activate is an effortless way to beat sugar cravings and get more energy while dining on a decadent, rich, chocolate lava cake featured on the blog.

There’s no need to sacrifice flavor and yummy treats on keto; just a few mindful swaps will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you on track!

Debunking Thyroid Studies on Keto

All hormonal systems are vital as they work together in a collaborative and symbiotic fashion, with each system controlling different functions in the body.

Detractors of the low-carb, high fat ketogenic diet often point to preliminary research that asserts that consuming a diet high in saturated fats has adverse effects on a woman's thyroid health.

However, not all saturated fats are equal in nutritional value or hormonal impact, with certain vegetable oils that are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like corn, safflower, canola, or soybean oil, even causing metabolic damage with continued use.

Herein lies the problem with existing studies on how a ketogenic diet may impact women's thyroid health: we don't know which types of fats the subjects consumed, and as we've already noted, choosing quality fats matters.

If studies tested health markers while those on keto were consuming large amounts of less healthy PUFAs, as opposed to preferable saturated fats like that found in coconut-based MCT oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or grass-fed meats, it might explain the thyroid breakdowns observed in some women studied.

We would all be well served to have more review and research conducted around how different saturated fats impact hormone regulation, as this aspect cannot be painted with a broad brush due to its nuance.

HPA Axis and Stress Hormones

You may already know that the adrenal gland plays a significant role in how our hormones operate, as well as how energy is distributed, based on whether our metabolic hormones inform our body and brain that we are in either a state of nutritional surplus or starvation.

However, if we're operating in a state of chronic stress and overtaxing the body regularly, the body releases increased amounts of stress hormones, like cortisol, which can result in a destructive hormonal imbalance in women, as well as unwanted weight gain—particularly around the abdomen.

An HPA-axis imbalance may also result in food sensitivities, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, autoimmune disease, hormonal imbalance, and disproportionate difficulty with losing weight.

Fortunately for ladies, the ketogenic diet can help regulate these imbalances when followed with a few crucial considerations.

How Women Can Start a Keto Diet

Now onto a little foodie fun as we detail all the tasty foods, you get to enjoy on keto while reaping the health benefits of ketosis and also enjoying accelerated body fat loss.

You read right, this is not a trick, and we're not kidding: the efficacy of the keto diet for everything from facilitating an accelerated fat loss to helping to prevent or mitigate the effects of certain cancers is well-founded, and backed by almost a century worth of research.

Start the ketogenic diet, first by reducing carb intake and increasing healthy fats, gradually until you achieve your desired ketogenic protocol. 

Women Need More Fat at First

Oh, yes, we're going to talk about getting to dine on delicious and decadent healthy fats without regret, again! It's essential to consume a lot of quality fats when starting the keto diet to achieve satiety.

Also, eating an abundance of fat helps to generate some initial internal "social proof," if you will.

Use your results to see if the keto diet works—despite it being a therapeutic solution that flies in the face of everything we've been taught for decades per the USDA's low-fat, high-carb, high-sugar agenda.

If you're open to the possibility of something new, and you're a foodie at heart, you're going to want to grab a fudgy peanut butter fat bomb and pull up a chair as we expound:

Eat until you're satisfied, especially extra healthy fats, without calorie counting, for the first few weeks.

Eating intuitively and having ample amounts of fat and protein in your diet will enable the brain and body to recalibrate itself, returning your natural appetite to your real level of hunger, no more binging!

Don’t Try To Restrict Calories

Starting keto presents an opportunity to recalibrate and relearn your true appetite. And eventually, once fat-adapted, you'll eat intuitively, and counting calories will become a thing of the past.

Enjoy as much healthy fat, and fiber as you need to, to feel satiated. Add quality proteins in moderation to add to the decadence.

Revel in the abandon with which you can now eat delicious foods like grass-fed beef, heavy cream, and foods rich in saturated fats like avocado oil that have wrongly been demonized by the powers that be, for decades.

Avoid Nutrient-Poor Fat Bombs

All fats are not created equal, and lower-quality fats (e.g., corn oil, safflower oil, all trans fats, etc.) and quality fats (e.g., cold-pressed MCT oil, organic almond butter, etc.), even if consumed in equal amounts, have vastly different effects within the body once consumed.

Stick to organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, non-GMO whole foods, even when making decadent fat bombs, to ensure you're not eating fats that will adversely affect hormone health.

If you have a sweet tooth, these keto fruits are the best way to get your fix. You can supplement with Keto Activate to erase sugar cravings for good. We also have 3 amazing dessert flavored Keto Shakes to curb cravings. 

Beware of Low-Protein

Protein is necessary for brain and body development and function. We need at least 30% of our calories from protein to perform many physiological functions, and this macronutrient also facilitates our ability to recover efficiently after exerting intense amounts of energy.

Everyone's protein needs will vary, so consult a nutritionist or access any number of food tracking apps available, like MyFitnessPal or Carb Manager, to determine your macros.

Tips on Doing a Ketogenic Diet for Women

The takeaway for women looking to start a ketogenic diet is simple: focus on eating nutrient-dense, low-glycemic foods, and concentrate on eating healthy fats and quality proteins to ensure satiety and sustained hormone health.

Eat More Alkaline Foods

We are free to eat bacon and butter to our heart's content on keto, but those two tasty staples of the keto diet aren't everything.

A well-structured keto diet will focus on getting adequate amounts of micronutrients (e.g., vitamins A and D, calcium, iron, etc.), as well as eating alkalizing foods that reduce inflammation and acidity in the body (e.g., kale, salmon, spirulina, etc.).

Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an excellent option for women who find a tighter eating window challenging to follow.

Consider eating your last meal of the day around 7 p.m. and not eating again until 9 a.m. the following day, giving you a longer, eight-hour feeding window, as opposed to attempting to restrict your feeding range each day to say a four-hour feeding window and fasting for 20-hours a day.

Manage Constipation

Many think of fat and protein as the most critical macronutrients on a ketogenic diet, but the fiber is just as essential as it helps to keep elimination regular and prevents constipation.

Fiber also helps to mitigate the glucose impact of carbs consumed (r.e., total carbs - fiber = net carbs) and enables you to feel fuller longer.

Reduce Stress

Stress triggers excessive amounts of, well, stress hormones, like cortisol, and wreaks havoc on the body, causing imbalances within the body's hormonal ecosystem.

Meditation and mindfulness practices will help manage stress levels and mitigate the body signaling the release of fat-storing hormones, like insulin, that will make it virtually impossible to release body fat.

FAQs About the Ketogenic Diet for Women

How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis?

It can take anywhere between 2-4 days to get into a ketotic state, depending on your level of daily activity and your metabolism.

How Much Protein Should I Eat?

Protein largely depends on an individuals’ health goal, lean body mass, and personal preferences.

The general guideline is that you should aim for 0.68 to 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass (LBM). If you weigh 170 pounds and are at 40% body fat, your LBM is 102 pounds (170 – 40%).

How Much Fat Should I Eat?

Your relationship with fat on keto is the inverse of any experience you've likely ever had while eating a Standard American Diet (SAD).

Enjoy an abundance of healthy fats and omega-3-and-6 balanced foods to replace the carbs you’ll no longer be eating to ensure satiety.

Also, although you can eat more substantial amounts of fat on keto than SAD, you don’t need to eat copious amounts of fat every day if your goal is fat loss.

A fat-fueled diet will keep you satisfied, and a moderate intake of dietary fat encourages the system to burn its own stored fat for fuel!

Let’s say you need to eat 1800 calories to lose weight, and you’re consuming 20g net carbs and 112g protein. 

Each gram of carbs and protein has 4 calories, while each gram of fat contains 9. This means that you’ll be consuming (20+112) x 4 = 132 x 4 = 528 calories from carbs and protein, and 1,272 calories from fat, or 141g fat.

I’m Vegan / Vegetarian. Can I Still do Keto?

There are so many fantastic animal-free products on the market to substitute for meat, dairy, and eggs in keto-friendy recipes — plan by sourcing products you'll need as staples, so you're prepared for success.

Can I Do the Keto Diet When Pregnant?

Both mom and her unborn baby enter nutritional ketosis throughout pregnancy, with instances of this increasing as both near the birthing experience.

It's best to start the ketogenic diet before conceiving so that you're already fat-adapted when you become pregnant.

But one can still transition to keto while pregnant, and it's recommended that women do so slowly—gradually reducing carb intake, but not lowering macros beyond 100 grams a day, to ensure sufficient nutrition for mom and baby.

Can I Do the Keto Diet After Giving Birth?

Absolutely! Both mom and baby are naturally in a state of nutritional ketosis leading up to and immediately following childbirth.

Also, the nutritional composition of mom's breastmilk will maintain ketosis in her baby for an extended period if exclusively breastfeeding.

What is the Best Ketogenic Diet for Women?

Go for a more moderate version of the ketogenic diet in the long-term, but strict keto is acceptable for healthy women with no underlying medical issues to help jumpstart fat loss.

In general, keep your total carb macros between 50-100 grams a day, based on your goals and metabolism—you'll find your ideal carb macro target over time with a little trial and error.

How Long Should I Fast?

We don't recommend fasting at all if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or underweight. However, a healthy woman can fast, and most women find fasting with larger feeding windows each day is more comfortable and sustainable.

Consider feeding for eight hours and fasting for 16 hours—throughout the week as detailed above, and you'll soon be experiencing the accelerated fat loss, metabolic regulation, and hormone support synonymous with physiological ketosis with a bit more wiggle room.

Speaking of wiggle room, we love to use Keto Activate when fasting because its added ketones help boost regenerative and metabolic benefits when fasting.

Try some chocolate Keto Activate to make a keto-friendly hot chocolate, or experiment with it however you please.

The benefits of using exogenous ketones when fasting are amazing and the taste of Keto Activate kind of makes you feel like you’re cheating when you’re not. 

Keto Summary

The many benefits of the ketogenic diet are well documented, especially for women. Promising, emerging research is even inspiring physicians to consider ways to use a stringent version of the dietary protocol to prevent or mitigate the devastating or fatal effects of certain cancers.

However, dropping carbohydrates too low, and shooting to achieve deeper states of ketosis with net carbs under 20 grams a day, can trigger hormonal imbalances in all women and are, again, especially not advised for women who are pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Consuming a quality ketone body supplement, like Keto Activate, helps to suppress hunger and cravings, and boosts energy, while enabling us to achieve and maintain ketosis—all an added benefit to those looking to manage weight or release body fat on keto.

Once you become reacquainted with your natural hunger signals, you'll be free from a regimented dietary program and can eat intuitively in a fat-adapted state, banishing the need for calorie counting for good!

Keto Studies

1. Barañano KW, Hartman AL. The ketogenic diet: uses in epilepsy and other neurologic illnesses. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2008;10(6):410–419. doi:10.1007/s11940-008-0043-8
2. Edwina H. Yeung, Cuilin Zhang, Sunni L. Mumford, Aijun Ye, Maurizio Trevisan, Liwei Chen, Richard W. Browne, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Enrique F. Schisterman, Longitudinal Study of Insulin Resistance and Sex Hormones over the Menstrual Cycle: The BioCycle Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 95, Issue 12, 1 December 2010, Pages 5435–5442
3. Freeman JM. Epilepsy's Big Fat Answer. Cerebrum. 2013;2013:3. Published 2013 Mar 1.
4. Rhodes ME, Talluri J, Harney JP, Frye CA. Ketogenic diet decreases circulating concentrations of neuroactive steroids of female rats. Epilepsy Behav. 2005;7(2):231–239. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.05.025